Our people

Some of the CTC Instructor Trainers during their in-house 'how to build a snowman' training

CTC is rightly proud of its courses, and we know that a substantial factor in making great courses is the person delivering it. Our Instructor Trainers are not only superbly qualified through vast experience, practice and training, but they also exemplify CTC's 'open to learning' mindset.

Collective experience

CTC's Training Department is substantially greater than the sum of its parts. Each highly qualified Instructor Trainer is not only able to draw on their own experience and CTC's ethos, but also on the contributions and development of their colleagues. With 25 active trainers across the world, that is a vast and unique pool of experience.

Ultimately, that is a key factor in making your course delivery so good. Therefore, your course Trainer will bring:

Superb qualification development that provides a structure enabling you to carry out the role you want to do

Great resources and applicable course content

Principles of learning that enable courses to be shaped around your needs, circumstances and desires

A raft of different teaching methods suited to your operating environment

An ethos based on creating lifelong learning opportunities and a desire to enable you to achieve

Individual experience

Our Instructor Trainers don't just deliver cycling and mountain bike activities: many also shape people's life and outdoor experiences in other capacities - for example as education advisors, outdoor centre managers, or activity inspectors.

Ultimately CTC - and most importantly you - benefit from a great course. And we know it'll be a great course, because of what your predecessors have told us!

CTC's training staff:

Dan Cook manages the CTC Training Department, with a particular emphasis on off-road and mountain bike courses. With a wealth of experience across a wide range of working environments, Dan helps set the tone and ethos for the trainers - but makes terrible tea!

Pete has worked on CTC courses for 15 years and is ideally located to deliver CTC's European training - he's based in the outdoor playground otherwise known as the French Alps. As a result, Pete specialises in the development of the CTC Cultural Modules.

Phil has a wide background in outdoor education and now specialises in mountain biking, climbing and winter sports. Previously Head of Outdoor Learning for Devon, Phil now concentrates on his preferrences - spending his time skiing, leading climbing trips and, naturally, running CTC courses.

Sally's first taste of the tough outdoors started off as a 14-year-old in a family on a risky mission, walking in big mountains with no kit, no map and no compass. She says the only solution was to learn how to do it all properly, so she qualified in as many things as she could.

A CTC trainer since 1998, Gerard brings with him a considered approach generated from his background in the graphic design process. He looks carefully at the needs and desires of learners and enhances courses accordingly, both at the development and delivery stages.

Mark is truly living the dream: working in Whistler (Canada) delivering mountain bike holidays during the summer and as a Ski Patroller through winter. With a broad background in outdoor education, he is taking mountain bike holidays to another level.

Phill works widely across a variety of sectors: health & safety, outdoor activity provision and mountain bike guiding, as well as running CTC courses. When he isn't working, he’s riding the Yak Attack, a 24-hour event , or off along the Trans Cambrian route in a day!

With an extensive background in paddlesports and mountain biking, Ally is continuously out in the wilds. Whether instructing as part of Campbell Coaching or riding / paddling / rafting in her own time, the outdoor playground of North Wales is Ally's home.

Bob Campbell has ridden and paddled all over the world to an incredibly high level, and helped develop unique brands and products in paddlesports and mountain bike sectors. He now uses those attributes to enable great skill acquisition for those attending CTC courses.

Sam Cook is quite simply a legend in outdoor education. From first ascents on Pembrokeshire cliffs to remote sea kayak expeditions; from managing large Outdoor Centres to inspecting activity provision, he remains one of the most recognised figures in the sector.

After spending too many years stuck in the workshops of cycle shops I escaped into the fresh air after being offered a "free" place on an OTC (nee CTC) MTB Leader Course, and look where I have ended up!

From a (fairly) young age Olly figured that being paid to ride your bike was the career for him and so spent nearly 10 years guiding mountain bike trips all over the world - everywhere from Italy to Tibet.